91 SS Fog Light Question...

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So I have a 91 SS and to be honest, the headlights suck. So here's what I was thinking. So far, I haven't heard of anyone doing this so that's why I'm asking, in case there is a problem with it.


Anyways, I was thinking about removing the turn signals (which look like fog light locations and rewiring them into the parking light locations. That way people on my side could actually see that I have my turn signals on. Then I would install fog lights in place of where the turn signals used to be.

Basically the idea would be to make everything light up and blink as if it were a post face lift legacy, while keeping the pre face lift bumper and what not.

Here's a picture of what I would do.

Oh and Devan I borrowed a picture of your car for this, hope you don't mind haha (I can take it down if it's a problem).






So what do you guys think?

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I would like it to look a lot like SaskatoonSubaru's setup in this thread...


http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?t=34499

[555BCTurbo]

Those are the foglight locations for all non-US Turbos...so just find some factory foglights



SaskatoonSubaru's car has a different front bumper than yours...

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Thanks Nick.
Where can I get factory fogs from?
And can I just wire the turn signals up into the corner lights or does something else need to be done?

[vrg3]

You really should get foreign-market turn signals. The stock pre-facelift corner lights aren't suitable for use as turn signals by any stretch of the imagination.

[555BCTurbo]

Thanks Nick.
Where can I get factory fogs from?
And can I just wire the turn signals up into the corner lights or does something else need to be done?

They are quite hard to come by...

I would start hitting up the JDM sellers on eBay, and all of the other Legacy forums first.

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Oh ok.
Well I've been trying to search around for pictures of other people who have a prefacelift legacy, but I can't seem to find any. Do you guys have any suggestions for good mounting locations for fogs?

I really don't want a light bar on my bumper, just something clean and simple...

[SubaruNation]

they can't screw into you bumper beam?

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They can...


but I just think it doesn't look so good. Like I wish it could go in the turn signal spot (on the pre face lifts) because it looks like a place where fogs would go....not on my grille or something.

[SubaruNation]

hell just find some and make them fit into that spot.
shape your bumper!

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So I decided to ditch the whole JDM bumper idea and I went out and bought some driving lights.

Holy hell, what an improvement. These things are soooo ridiculously bright. I love them.

It took me about an hour +/- 10 minutes to install and aim them. I personally think they're awesome...

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Oh and I know my paint is crap. But thanks to my dad hitting my car, I'll have new paint soon. Haha.

[SubaruNation]

ha ha parents rule!
sometimes

looks hawt!

[All_talk]

I have dual fog/driving lights in the stock bumper location under stock lenses (diffuser removed), custom aluminum brackets. My turns are relocated to the corner lights with the stock USDM lenses and dual filament amber bulbs (1157A), they work fine. The fogs were a big help with the stock headlights but I recently swap in the EDM headlights, best money I’ve ever spent on this car, I really don’t need the fogs now. My advice, get the EDM’s.

Fog/driving lights



Fog/driving pattern with stock lights



EDM vs. Stock headlights (EDM left)


Gary

[SubaruNation]

AHH HA ha thats exactly what my lights (not fogs) look like!
xcept dimmer....

[vrg3]

My turns are relocated to the corner lights with the stock USDM lenses and dual filament amber bulbs (1157A), they work fine.

Do I understand right? You took the stock pre-facelift parking light housings meant to create a parking beam pattern with 67 bulbs, and wedged an 1157A bulb in is place and say they "work fine?" as turn signals.

They absolutely don't.

[SubaruNation]

My turns are relocated to the corner lights with the stock USDM lenses and dual filament amber bulbs (1157A), they work fine.

Do I understand right? You took the stock pre-facelift parking light housings meant to create a parking beam pattern with 67 bulbs, and wedged an 1157A bulb in is place and say they "work fine?" as turn signals.

They absolutely don't.

...looks like they do to me.
thats innovation right there, nice job!

i think it worked out well from the pictures, i mean those bumpers (90-91) fogs are really hard to find so that's killing 2 birds with one stone!

[All_talk]

Do I understand right? You took the stock pre-facelift parking light housings meant to create a parking beam pattern with 67 bulbs, and wedged an 1157A bulb in is place and say they "work fine?" as turn signals.

They absolutely don't.

You are correct in that they do not have the proper reflector, but they work surprising well. They cast a good deal of light off the corner, even more than some cars I’ve driven with stock turns in the corners.

That said, if I have the opportunity to pick up a set of JDM corners I probably will.

Gary

[vrg3]

Zach - You can't always trust your eyes.

Gary - Oh, you've measured the beam pattern? Do tell.

[SubaruNation]

Zach - You can't always trust your eyes.

i'm learning that slowly...

[All_talk]

... Gary - Oh, you've measured the beam pattern? Do tell.

Washington State doesn’t have a beam pattern requirement but RCW 46.37.200 states “Turn signal lamps shall be visible from a distance of not less than five hundred feet to the front and rear in normal sunlight.”

So, I figured I should check and see if my modified front signals meet the requirement, they do, but they don’t stand out as much as I’d like. I agree with vgr3, this is not the best fix, even though they satisfy the law they are less than ideal… I guess I’m in the market for some JDM corner lights.

Gary

[vrg3]

I'm glad we can agree that some JDM or ECE corner lights are what you need. And that "legal" is the same thing as "not stupid." But your current signals are not legal.

Washington State has adopted Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Statute 108, which references SAE standard J588 for turn signal photometrics. J588 has very specific requirements for color, lit area, luminous flux, and distribution of luminous intensity, which vary depending on the distance of the turn signal lamp from the headlamp.

Your front turn signals are completely inadequate. I can't say for sure if they're worse than stock pre-facelift lights in day-to-day driving, but you simply cannot say they "work fine."

[All_talk]

I looked up the SAE J588 standard (took some digging to find data you didn't have to pay for) and its quite specific. I dont have any way of testing the photometrics but I have no doubt the my lights would fail. I did notice that Washington didn't adopt the standard until 1998 so I'm not sure if/how it applies to vehicles built before that date or modifications to them. But in any case, my path is clear... proper corner lights.

Thanks for the dialogue it has been educational.

Gary

[vrg3]

No problem. Yeah, Washington was actually one of the last states to adopt FMVSS 108. For a long time, European-spec headlights were actually legal in your state. No more...